Graphic Organizers in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Graphic Organizers in the Classroom Essay A graphic organizer is a visual tool the helps students grasp the relationship between facts, terms and other ideas within a specific learning task (Hall Strangman, 2002). Graphic organizers are called by a variety of different names including knowledge maps, concept maps, story maps, cognitive organizers, advance organizers and concept diagrams (Hall Strangman, 2002). However, graphic organizers have a valuable place within classrooms because they have the potential to improve learning outcomes for all students (Hall Strangman, 2002). Graphic organizers are so useful for both students and teachers because they can take many forms and be used in a variety of different ways to meet the needs of each individual student. Graphic organizers can be used in a variety of different educational situations and can be modified to meet the learning objectives of specific lessons (Bellanca, 2007). Teachers can use a graphic organizer to make sense of classroom discussions among students. Students can use graphic organizers to gather information from a single lesson in order to find meaning. Students can also rely on graphic organizers to keep track of an ongoing lesson or theme that lasts throughout the entire school year (Bellanca, 2007). An analysis of graphic organizers is offered as they relate to overall learning achievement in the classroom. Graphic organizers have the potential to improve the learning outcomes of all students because they blend the linguistic mode of learning with the non linguistic mode of learning so that words and phrases work with symbols to form meaningful relationships (Marzano, Pickering Pollock, 2001). The use of graphic organizers is intended to meet six different learning objectives that regularly appear in classroom curriculum: descriptive patterns, time-sequence patterns, process/cause effect patterns, episode patterns, generalization/principle patterns and concept patterns (Marzano, et al, 2001). Descriptive patterns are used to represent facts about people, places, things and events (Marzano, et al, 2001). For example, if students were learning about the Underground Railroad, they could create a graphic organizer centered on the Underground Railroad by branching different facts about this historical event off, including important people, places, things and events associated with the Underground Railroad. Similarly, time-sequence patterns are used to form representations of the chronological sequence of events (Marzano, et al, 2001). This type of graphic organizer could take the form of a student created time line. The remaining four types of graphic organizers deal with more complex processes but are equally as useful for teachers and students. Process/cause effect patterns organize information in such a way that allows it to lead to a specific outcome (Marzano, et al, 2001). Using the Underground Railroad example, this graphic organizer could list all of the different events that led to the creation of the Underground Railroad. Episode patterns are similar in that they organize information about specific events including setting, people, duration, sequence of events and cause and effect (Marzano, et al, 2001). This type of graphic organizer allows students to form a clear and cohesive picture of what they are studying so that all of the necessary information is included in one place. Generalization/Principle patterns allow students to focus on one topic so they are able to collect a variety of different examples that support that topic (Marzano, et al, 2001). This type of graphic organizer is particularly useful in math because it allows students to show a multitude of examples that prove specific math concepts. Finally, concept patterns organize information around a word or phrase that represent people, places, things or events as entire categories (Marzano, et al, 2001). This type of organizer allows students to show many examples about one particular subject. The types of graphic organizers described above are highly useful in the classroom because students in modern society are very visual human beings (Sousa, 2007). Modern students are surrounded by visual technology including computers, television, video games, cellular telephones, movies and DVD players (Sousa, 2007). Graphic organizers build on the reliance that students have on visual technology by capturing their attention in order to provide them with authentic opportunities to improve their understanding, meaning and retention of specific subjects (Sousa, 2007). Teachers who incorporate the use of graphic organizers into the classroom are able to reach all students because they appeal to the highly visual children that make up society today. Further, the use of visual techniques such as graphic organizers have the potential to increase learning outcomes while also ensuring future recall. The national No Child Left Behind Act has increased educational focus onto assessment (Struble, 2007). Graphic organizers have a very valuable place in classrooms both as ongoing and formative assessment measures (Struble, 2007). Graphic organizers are powerful tools for analyzing and assessing the ongoing understanding and performance of students throughout the school year and across a wide range of subject material (Struble, 2007). The use of graphic organizers as part of an ongoing assessment measure allows teachers to modify instruction as necessary while also ensuring that all students are learning what they need to know (Struble, 2007). Further, the use of graphic organizers has been shown to increase overall meaning but also to increase future retention (Nesbit Adescope, 2006). Over the past several years, fifty-five studies have been conducted associated with the use of graphic organizers by 5818 student participants. Results from these studies using post tests measuring recall and transfer after the use of graphic organizers prove that they increase knowledge retention (Nesbit Adescope, 2006). Ultimately, graphic organizers have the potential to capture the interest of students so they are able to form a meaningful relationship between linguistic and non linguistic skills in order to increase the potential for future recall of curriculum material. Bellanca, James A. (2007). A guide to graphic organizers: helping students organize and process content for deeper learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Hall, Tracey Strangman, Nicole. (2002). Graphic organizers. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved on April 16, 2009 from http://www. cast. org/publications/ncac/ncac_go. html. Marzano, Robert J. ; Pickering, Debra J. Pollock, Jane E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: research based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision Curriculum Development. Nesbit, John C. Adescope, Olusola O. (2006). Learning with concept and knowledge maps: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 76 (3): 413 – 448. Sousa, David A. (2007). How the brain learns mathematics. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Struble, Janet. (2007). Using graphic organizers as a formative assessment. Science Scope, January 1.

Realism in English Literature

Realism in English Literature In general, realism can be defined as the aspect of tending to lean towards being factual and practical on matters of life by representing things, actions, or social circumstances in point of fact, without presenting them in their conceptual form and neither without the influence of feelings or other artistic ideas. However, in order to clearly define or discuss the major distinguishing features of realism, it is best to discuss it under different viewpoints so as to get an extensive description of what this theory of realism in American literature is all about. The theory of realism emphasizes on objectivity and being indifferent, along with unemotional social criticism. By critically referring to minute details and being concerned with petty, insignificant issues. Therefore, through use of literature, realism refers to the attempt of a writer to portray human actions and environment precisely as it appears in every day life. In reaction to romanticism, realists claimed that precise documentation, sociological approach and vernacular diction were the basis of literal realism. The subject matter was sourced from everyday life, and in this case, the people in lower-class life were considered. After the Civil War, it is when realism entered American literature; with authors such as Mark Twain and Henry James being the major initiators of this fictional style of realism in America. The American realistic authors aimed at presenting observations that were objective and without bias. In this light, we can broadly discuss literal realism from the literature point of view. In the school of literature, realism is described as the theory through which fidelity to the natural world or towards life is represented accurately without the practice of idealizing occurrences of life. The works of Daniel Defoe and Henry fielding are some of the earliest cases of realism in English writing, dating back to the 18th century. Through the schools, types and modes of literature, realism can be described as the conformity to accurate literary depiction of real and everyday life without any form of idealization. Through this genre of realism, individuals were just perceived as real people, as opposed to other genres such as romanticism which described an individual as a god and naturalism which perceived a person as a helpless object. (Gray) Realism in American Literature dates back to the 19th century, 1860-1900. In American literature, realism is described as a term that covers the period from the time of the Civil War to the 20th century-an era during which the realism of Twain and James was highly praised. Realism in America was therefore a 20th century idea in literature through which reflections of this era were portrayed. A time in which authors like Mark Twain, Henry James, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, Toni Morrison and others wrote literature that was dedicated to accurate description and a study of how the Americans lived in different situations during that era. After the Civil War, there was a fast growth in the economy and population in the United States. This rapid growth in the rates of industrialization, urbanization, an escalating population base as a result of immigration, general literacy, social equality and a rise in the affluence of the middle-class population presented a rich base for wri ters and readers who had the urge to understand these rapid changes in the American civilization. In defining the realism in the literary history of America, we refer to that period ranging from 1865 to l914, which has been commonly referred to as the Era of Realism in the American 1iterary history. Therefore, in defining Realism as a literary movement, it should be specifically located in history and not simply artistically labeled to escape being dated. Hence, Realism being seen as a literary movement, it should doubtless be limited to the age from the late 1840s to the mid 1860s. This implies that the theory of focus concerning literal realism of the content should be centered on the ordinary, everyday lives of the lower-class preferably. The American realist writers went ahead to build their plots and characters around the ordinary, daily lives that people led. In addition, their fictional works contained local languages and wide-ranging conversations that attached well with the community. Consequently, readers were ideally attracted to the realistic writers because they coul d see their own struggles in print. The American public had advanced socially, economically and politically and so they tended to prefer writers who plainly described the difficulties of every day life for individuals as opposed to the slow paced writings and symbolism of the romantic writers, which the public had come to develop distaste for. The Americans had transformed to a new age, and realism was the only theory that clearly depicted the situation as it really was during that age. (McDonald) Mark uses local colorism as a theme through which he presents life through representing the characters in his novel as locals from a particular region. The way they did things in a native manner, the clothes that they wore and even how they talked described their lifestyle in a profound way. Mark Twain unlike James Henry wrote about people in the lower-class. Being the kind of life he had lived, he understood this class of people better as seen in his novels. Through use of local colorism, Mark was able to i1lustrate and shed light on issues in the contemporary society. The Gilded age, as Mark Twain commonly refers to as the period of American realism, was a time of materialism and political corruption in the United States. These elements formed ideas on which some important works of fiction on political and social criticism were based on. The novel Gilded Age (1873), which was authored by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, presents a clear depiction of Washington D.C. The scene describes fraudulent politicians and insatiable industrialists. The novels of this age characterize the beginning of a new twist in the American literature, with the novel acting as a vehicle of social grievances. In an attempt to describe a contemporary view of how things were in reality; writing was used to portray how the culture of the people and the scenic outlook of New York City had transformed in this age. During this period of time, the writers, journalists, musicians and painters had made a major contribution to the thought of realism in the American setting; they had actually come of age. This was actually a new kind of generation writers, journalists and painters who through their writing and works of art were concerned with representing the usual and common aspects of life in a straightforward and unemotional manner, which was assumed to portray life as it actually was. Their approach of treating matters that portray a careful depiction of daily life, more so by the lower and middle classes was partly influenced by the new city life of a people who were more urban as opposed to leading a rural life and partly by the works of older American writers. These American realists did believe that humanitys preferences and freedom of choice were constrained by the supremacy of outside forces, which influence our ways of thinking and consequently our behavior and personality. This was a new age and it had come with a new style and approach of writing and presenting other works of art. (Patterson) Henry James and Mark Twain are some of the renowned writers in this era and together they achieved to bring out the indigenous style in the realistic description of the land and social activities by using the colloquial speech style. By using this approach they managed to survey and use the fictional potential of the interior life of people living at the time. However, the three writers differed in their perception of what they termed as the truth in reality. For instance, Mark and William gave more emphasis to the general life of the Americans, while Henry gave more attention to the sub conscious elements of a person. Henry was of the opinion that literary artists should use words to explore the deepest extents of the mental and ethical nature of people in addition to examining the exterior of social life in certain circumstances. This made him a realist of both the inner and outer life, while Mark and William were merely realists of the exterior life. The contribution of these five authors; Mark Twain, Henry James, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, Toni Morrison to the American realism through Literature can be viewed as fitting in the realistic period in the American literature in this context. Samuel Clemens, commonly known by his pet name Mark Twain is famous for how he represented realism in his writing (1835-1910). His well-known literary works are Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his most prominent account of realism, he introduced a character Huckleberry Finn who is a mistreated and neglected thirteen years old boy, whose father is a cruel drunk. From Finns view point, we get to see the world as he tries to make sense of the social world around him. In the story, Mark portrays various societal formalities by representing the double standards of the civilized American society in every day life. Mark Twains style, which was based on a dynamic, practical and slang American language, gave to the American writers and readers an admiration of their speech that represented a new form of American fiction. Despite Mark coming from the interiors of the country, he was actually among the most important authors who managed to capture this unique colloquial language and the aspect of iconoclasm of the Americans in his writing. But in his opinion, realism was not just a literary skill: It was a way of revealing the truth and abandoning old-fashioned principle of life. Like other realistic writers at the time, Mark Twain represents life in a practical way. His mode of writing was hilarious, descriptive and one which incorporated the colloquial language of Americans with both slang and iconoclasm. Mark Twain is regarded as a major writer in the realistic period. Through his literature, Mark created the worlds view of the United States. From how he managed to combine the American peoples h umor and serious writing, he produced a very superb form of literature than the earlier novelists had ever done. Throughout his writing career, Mark Twain used the technique of humorous narration in most of his major works of fiction. In his accounts, he ridicules the pompous, self-indulgent old world in mocking tones. He developed his work by drawing upon the views and sensations of his childhood. He narrates about his boyhood ambitions to be the pilot of a riverboat. The episodic encounters of Huck and Jim present us with an illustration of the world in a social perspective by symbolically using the banks of the river and the river that runs through them it to portray our actions in the world, in a realistic way. In The Gilded Age, he uses social satire to explore individuality in a world of speculation and unsteady values, all in the name of getting rich, whether at the expense of others or not. Twain, who over the years had turned in to a disillusioned pessimist, he cynically described the human race as a lost society, which had become obvious due to individualism. Mark also uses the aspects of vernacular in the realism movement. His use of col1oquial words which are real and express in effect, and use of simple sentence structures makes his work very unique. He also uses grammatical incorrect wording that is characteristic of the spoken 1anguage. He uses this colloquialism to powerfully cast his characters unique in their daily lives in a magical way. The fact that his characters have different cultural settings indicates that they speak differently probably with strong accents, which is the basic ideology of local colorism in his work. Like is the case with Huck and Jim, who talk differently because of their different cultural settings. His use of humor is another element he uses to describe realism in his work. Most of his writings are comical and contain practical jokes. Most of his jokes and remarks are his exaggerated stories of his life experiences. He not only uses this jokes to make people laugh but also as a type of artistic approach of criticizing social injustices and mocking the romanticism genre. In the book Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the character Huck, a young lad who described as using the local dialect in scene development plays the role of narrator. The illustration of characters and story renditions are both comical and cleverly iconic. Huck is described as being illiterate and superstitious; however, he happens to have native wisdom and concern-instinctive trends that help him reach the right decisions on certain important matters. After running away from his cruel father, he meets Jim, a runaway slave and together they start on a long voyage down the Mississippi River on a boat. This describes how we are at times faced by lifes challenges and we opt to run away, instead of face them. During the passage, Huck meets members of different communities, which helps him overcome his earlier narrow-mindedness and he learns to revere Jim. The book describes the different classes of people that Huck meets symbolically through the river banks on their journey. The thread which runs through exploration after exploration is the aspect of human cruelty to others. The significance of mark as a realistic writer is the literary creativity he employs in his novels. First of all, the language he uses to write his novels is simple and direct colloquial speech. Secondly, the plot and shape of his writings gives his novels both a realistic and symbolic aspect. Thirdly, he describes how the human race is damned following the kind of actions and decisions wee make concerning various issues. Although Mark and Howells shared the same perception in describing the realities of life in the American culture, each of them had a different stress. Howells preferred to base his argument on how the middle class people lived and conducted themselves in life. Twain focused his argument on having people from a certain region take the center-stage in his stories-local colorism, which was a unique style in the American fictitious realism. Local Colorism was an extraordinary approach in the literary realism age. Generally, the writings by the local colorists were focused on the life of some small, distinct regions. This type of literature portrayed the characters from a specific time, which are manifested by its traditions, language, outfit and other odd customs that have failed to come of age through cultural pressure. The writing is done from a personal experience perspective, whereby they committed themselves to minutely and accurately describe the way of life in theses regions. Thro ugh personal experience, they depicted an exceptional environment, which suggested that the life of the natives was greatly influenced by the conditions of the environment. The works of Mark Twain and Hamlin Garland are characterized by this element of local colors of the people. (Railton) Henry James (1843-1916), was a well-known American-born English author and writer of the realism movement. Among his highly attributable works of fiction are The American (1877), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Turn of the Screw (1898), and The Ambassadors (1903). His works were mostly romantic narrative with well developed characters that were set amongst revealing social observations on political affairs, social class and status. He vastly explored topic on feminism, personal freedom and moral decency. In his novels and short stories, he makes use of the interior monologue technique and approach to ensure the readers delight of character approach and sensitivity. James often compares the lifestyle and perceptions of New World with the Old World. In his writing, Henry James who greatly admired the early European culture portrayed a negative image of the money-oriented and twisted life of the Americans. He became a British citizen through naturalization, arguing that he believed that the Americans lacked a culture, a reason why he preferred the European civilization. In his major works more so the novels and essays made him a prominent figure in the American world of literature. There are three periods in his literary profession, in the first his main interest was in global subject matters. Jamess international theme is also another aspect that he uses in fictional realism. He uses America and Europe as the international environment, which centers on the conflicts between these two very diverse cu1tures. Having diverse moral, Americans are naive, ignorant, unsophisticated and individualistic in comparison with European whose personality was that of cultural erosion, deceit and urbanity, a conflict arises. The American in search of success in Europe would be easily deceived and betrayed by the civilized Europeans. In the same context he also uses love and marriage as central points of the conflicts between these two value structures. The character goes through an agonizing progression of spiritual nourishment and achieving an awareness of good and evil from this confrontation. He regards the conflicts between two diverse societies and the emotional and ethical problems Americans in Europe and Europeans in America experienced. Jamess international theme is also another aspect that he uses in fictional realism. He uses America and Europe as the international environment, which centers on the conflicts between these two very diverse cu1tures. Having diverse moral, Americans are naive, ignorant, unsophisticated and individualistic in comparison with European whose personality was that of cultural erosion, deceit and urbanity, a conflict arises. In The Portrait of a Lady, he describes a conflict between the Old and the New World, through the life of an American girl in a European society and environment. The American in search of success in Europe would be easily deceived and betrayed by the civilized Europeans. In the same context he also uses love and marriage as central points of the conflicts between these two value structures. The character goes through an agonizing progression of spiritual nourishment and achieving an awareness of good and evil from this confrontation. Henry Jamess realistic elements are distinguished by his psychological realism style that he uses to approach the subject matter. His world of fiction is more concerned with the inner aspects of life of an individual in preference to the obvious human acts. He makes individual perception and expression of every moment senses of personal experience to be the dramatic production of puzzlement and great findings. We get to view individuals and actions as they are sorted out in an individuals awareness and involve ourselves in this experience. This stress on psychological realism on the human perception shows that this was a major advancement in the writing of novels and a kind of big influence on future generations. James is commonly considered as the initiator of psychological realism, an idea which he incorporated in his work, whereby the characters are portrayed as having a stream of consciousness. In Daisy Miller, one of his most famous works, Henry James uses Frederick, an American emigrant as the narrator of the story. While on a visit to Switzerland, Frederick meets the Millers. The Millers, who are American, believe in social freedom and individuality unlike the Europeans. Daisy, daughter to Mrs. Miller does not regard the complex policies underlying conduct in European society. Daisys adventurous behavior and lack of concern form her mother leave Winterbourne shocked. She later dies of malaria. The theme of the novel is a comparison between America and Europe, centered on the conflict of these two cu1tures as regards their different social values, the moral decadence in Europe and its repercussion as described through the death of Daisy. Jamess literary criticism, described as the theme of the Art of Fiction. His fictional criticism is a crucial element of his input to literature. It is both apprehensive with outward manifestation and dedicated to personality values. This theme plainly signifies that the plan of the narrative is to present life as it really is. He depicts occurrence such as fantasy, desolation, incentives, agony and encouragement. His narrative standpoint and the language he uses are other themes in his realistic literature. Through this literary skill, he places a psychological emphasis in the story. By making his characters build themselves in the plot, devoid of authorial intrusion, we capture the core story by reading it through the minds of the protagonists and in that respect we get to share in their realistic perspectives of life. For his language, James makes a careful selection of words that is intended to bring out the clear and intended meaning without any ambiguity even though it is not e asy to understand his vocabulary. This made Henry James one of the most important realists of this era through his skilled style of writing. The stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) present the edgy and bold atmosphere of the 1920s, a disappointment that resulted from the war. Fitzgeralds distinctive subject matter is articulated expressively in his novel The Great Gatsby. He argues that there is a propensity of the ambitions that youths yearn for end in letdown and disillusionment. Fitzgerald reveals that the failure of some chief American moral standards such as liberty, social harmony, promoting peace and good governance are elements which were endangered by the demands of the 20th century civilization. Ernest Hemmingway, who was also another author during the time (1899-1961) argued that death, violence in the World War I and the bloodshed influenced him to conclude that conceptual verbal communication was typically empty and as such a misleading element. He left out over emphasized wordings from his works, to simple sentence structure. In some way his writing was inspired by Mark Twain who influenced his style of writing. He dwelt on realistic things and actions. He stuck on to an ethical code that emphasized the essence of elegance under pressure, with his central characters being quiet physically powerful who treated women inappropriately. His novels include: The sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. He was one a writer who greatly detested this new civilization in which the people were inelegant and their actions were very much individualistic. Through her novels, Toni Morrison (1930-1950) has used a variety of themes and Practices which represent her contribution to realism in the American literature scene. She uses the element of sense of loss to describe how she deeply feels for the Afro-Americans for losses they have experienced in their movement from the rural areas of the south to the urban centers in the north. They are depicted as a people who have lost their sense of living as a society, a disconnection with their past and traditions. Their culture of oral tradition of story narration and folktales was no longer a basis of their strength as a people. Other foundations of their togetherness like music which they used as a healing element, had been adsorbed by their integration into the white community. Hence portraying a society that had completely lost touch with their roots and had sought to live in a more sophisticated and realistic way, as opposed to their traditional way of life that entailed living as a depend ent community and having a shared history. (Baym) She also portrays her characters as people who are in a constant struggle of trying to identify with society and fulfill oneself. Thee elements of having societal roots, and a community to identity with, which implies having a shared history is what these African-Americans have given up to adopt the American culture. Anybody who does not belong to a community is generally regarded as lost, while those who still hold on to their traditions and communities are depicted as having a high chance of surviving. The lack of societal roots and the detachment of an individual from the society lead to their being alienated. According to her, ancestors are also a necessary part of life for they give cultural information and a link to the past. They are supposed to guide and be concerned about our welfare like parents and grandparents. In her novel, The Bluest Eye, ancestors is one of the distinctive uniqueness of the black community literature, which they have actually given up for a more realistic and fulfilling life. The aspect of characters in extreme situations is also another theme Toni Morrison uses in her literature. She sets her characters in intense situations; she then forces them to the edge beyond their points of endurance. These circumstances disclose their basic personality. Even the good people end up acting in some very horrifying ways. Through this induced push, people are described in their real manner and not in their pretentious good self. Other themes in her works include responsibility, freedom and loss of innocence.

Modernist Literature Essay -- Modernist Literature Essays

Modernism emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century, following World War I and flowing through the â€Å"roaring twenties.† Materialism, crime, depression, and change filled this era. Reflecting the revolutionary time period, modernism itself was a revolution of style. Musicians, artists, and writers broke away from traditional, conventional techniques to create new, rebellious art. Modernism, in other words, was a change in how artists represented the world in their works. Passionate, sporadic jazz music—referred to as â€Å"jungle music†Ã¢â‚¬â€danced through the music scene. Painters such as Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky stroked over the paintings of impressionist, representationalist artists, such as Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. Poets like T.S. Eliot, e.e. cummings, Wallace Stevens, and William Carlos Williams broke the rules of conventional poetry. Lastly, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald replaced the plot-driven novels of the n ineteenth century with their works: The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby. New was in, and new meant new ways of looking at and experiencing literature, poetry, and other forms of art. Modernists realized that there was more than just understanding a work, declaring that one could also enjoy art. Therefore, pleasure became extremely important. Pleasure filled the streets, with people unlawfully drinking alcohol, engaging in sexual relationships, and benefiting from the current prosperity; pleasure filled the arts. With pleasure came a preoccupation with perspective as well. A person’s perspective determines whether or not he or she enjoys art and really life itself. For the first time, therefore, pleasure and perspective were the main focus and interest of artists, thus formi... ...this new art. However, the mind did not suffer from its new flesh. The style of modernist writers is actually deceivingly simple. Although the sentences and words of modernist works seem uncomplicated and plain, the emotion and underlying problems are still very complex. Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, for instance, is about more than drunk people. However, realizing that the reader may struggle to comprehend his difficult ideas, Hemingway, as well as the other modernist writers, added these revolutionary components—such as symbolism and leaner sentences—to allow the reader to enjoy the art. One can communicate with and take pleasure in another being without fully understanding or delving into his complicated mind. One can enjoy art’s flesh without completely grasping its mind. Art as this full being was a new, modern idea that caused a revolution of style.

Klu Klux Klan - KKK :: American History

KKK The Klu Klux Klan called themselves the white knights because they rode around on horses. They wore white sheets over their heads and dressed their horses in white sheets and rode in neighborhoods where black people lived. They brought terror into the lives of the African Americans. The symbol of the Klu Klux Klan was the burning cross. A KKK member once stated, "We do not burn the cross to symbolize the destruction of it, but to enlighten it." The name Klu Klux Klan derived from the Greek word "kuklos," meaning circle or wheel. The Klu Klux Klan was considered to be a "fraternal organization." It grew out of the Civil War to protect and preserve the white race. It was to ensure the "voluntary separation" of the races. In many cases that meant the termination of blacks, Catholics, and Jews. The Ku Klux Klan is one of America's oldest and most feared groups. Motivated by the dream of a world with only one race, the KKK uses violence and does things that are against the law to support their cause. They have been in the shadows for over 130 years, and occasionally continue to succeed in America's society today. The Ku Klux Klan began during the rebuilding process after the Civil War in the Southern United States. The southern people had suffered a lot from the effects of the Civil War. Many of them lost their homes and plantations; many also lost friends and loved ones to the war. In 1865, six men from a small town in Tennessee began what has grown to be the largest and most feared "hate group" in the United States. The men decided to make a club to help relieve the stress of the times. All of the men were poor and could not afford to make uniforms for the group, so they decided to use plain, white sheets. They wore the sheets over their backs and put pillowcases on their heads. They also draped the sheets over their horses. In the beginning, the men only wanted to play pranks on people to try to cheer them up after the terrible war. But the people were more frightened than they were cheered up. They soon figured out what they could do with these fearful pranks.

Journey To My Past: Responses to Silent Dancing Story Essay -- Silent

Journey To My Past: Responses to Silent Dancing Story 1 Journal of Reading Silent Dancing Many people say, "Do not judge a book by its cover," but the cover of this book drew me into a journey of reading. The line of the letters Silent Dancing is on top; just below that is a picture of a beautiful four-year old girl. Perhaps she lives with a wealthy family; the girl looks so cute and pretty in her dress. Like many other young girls who usually love toys, she is holding a rattlebox; however, she does not pay attention to the toy in her hands. The young girl appears sad because of wide opened eyes that seem interested of what is in front of her. The quiet lips that have no smile make her look shy and older than her time. Why does this young girl have a feature of sadness? This picture seems to suggest that after reading Silent Dancing I should have the proper answer to that question. Silent Dancing is a garden of many stories in the childhood of a Puerto Rican girl, Judith Ortiz Cofer. Some chapters in her book are very exciting because her memory sometimes stimulates mine. There are many remembrances that are evoked by the reading this book. 2 Reading "More Room" When I first read the caption "More Room," I did not guess that the main character in this chapter was an unhappy person. Soon after reading, I understood she was a sad woman because of only a reason: she could easily get pregnant (actually she had many children). That woman's situation reminds me of my mother. What are the similarities between this character and my Mom? A simple thing: they both were mothers of many children and sometimes felt full of cares when they knew they were carrying another baby. The sound is simple but the fact is not. Like many ... ... tiny paper clothes. Some characters in Cofer's childhood were exciting just like some of the people in my childhood, but the ending of her childhood and mine were very different. At the age of fifteen, Cofer had some boyfriends; they loved and admired her. She fell in love for the first time and learned a lesson about the love; she also was no longer a child at the age of fifteen. However, the ending of my childhood was caused by a war. Like the rope of a kite was broken in the raging wind, my childhood's kite disappeared into the sky. The tragedies of the war fell upon the people in my family and my country; they shattered my innocent childhood when I was only a thirteen years old girl. Although everyone has a different memory about their life, and each of us has special ending to our childhood, reading Silent Dancing gave me the urge to recall these remembrances.

Tomorrow When The War Began

That ‘Evil is a human invention'. And I agree with her. When the dragonfly eats the mosquito, the hermit and when Elli blows up the lawn mower are all excellent point which I will be discussing and arguing about throughout this essay . The first point is when the dragon fly eats the mosquito. Elli makes the point that when the dragonfly eats the mosquito it is in reality nature but humans seem to take this simple act of life and turn it into something evil and dark. To make this mint more clear and defined, here is a line from the book. He was eating it alive. Bit by bit the mosquito, still struggling wildly, was munched up. † If someone else was in Else's position they may have even killed the dragon fly because they thought it was that evil. My second point is the Hermit. The Hermit is one of the side stories in the book they don't get that deep into the story but they give up just enough details to make a point out of it. The hermit in the book is considered to be evil by everyone in Wearied. But when Elli discovers the Hermits den she finds old documents and photo's of his family.If he was so evil why would he keep them. Personally I think that he was putting his family out of their misery by shooting them, and he stayed away from everyone because he could not stand being judged. My third and final point is when Elli blows up the lawn mower. After doing so she starts to question herself throughout the book and cannot make clear decisions because of this. She keeps asking herself the question ‘ am an evil person. Her friend tell her that she had to do it or her friends may have been killed and that makes her wonder ‘is evil a human invention.If this was the animal kingdom and she was a lioness and a hyena was trying to eat her cubs there is no doubt that the lioness would fight the hyena. That again would not be evil in reality, in reality that would be nature. In conclusion I think that evil is a human invention and that Elli try's t o fight this fact and also tries to embrace it. This becomes more bold when she blows up the lawn mower, Discovers the Hermit is real and when the dragonfly eats the mosquito. In the end I think and will continue thinking that evil is a human invention. Tomorrow When The War Began That ‘Evil is a human invention'. And I agree with her. When the dragonfly eats the mosquito, the hermit and when Elli blows up the lawn mower are all excellent point which I will be discussing and arguing about throughout this essay . The first point is when the dragon fly eats the mosquito. Elli makes the point that when the dragonfly eats the mosquito it is in reality nature but humans seem to take this simple act of life and turn it into something evil and dark. To make this mint more clear and defined, here is a line from the book. He was eating it alive. Bit by bit the mosquito, still struggling wildly, was munched up. † If someone else was in Else's position they may have even killed the dragon fly because they thought it was that evil. My second point is the Hermit. The Hermit is one of the side stories in the book they don't get that deep into the story but they give up just enough details to make a point out of it. The hermit in the book is considered to be evil by everyone in Wearied. But when Elli discovers the Hermits den she finds old documents and photo's of his family.If he was so evil why would he keep them. Personally I think that he was putting his family out of their misery by shooting them, and he stayed away from everyone because he could not stand being judged. My third and final point is when Elli blows up the lawn mower. After doing so she starts to question herself throughout the book and cannot make clear decisions because of this. She keeps asking herself the question ‘ am an evil person. Her friend tell her that she had to do it or her friends may have been killed and that makes her wonder ‘is evil a human invention.If this was the animal kingdom and she was a lioness and a hyena was trying to eat her cubs there is no doubt that the lioness would fight the hyena. That again would not be evil in reality, in reality that would be nature. In conclusion I think that evil is a human invention and that Elli try's t o fight this fact and also tries to embrace it. This becomes more bold when she blows up the lawn mower, Discovers the Hermit is real and when the dragonfly eats the mosquito. In the end I think and will continue thinking that evil is a human invention.

Healthy Eating Essay

Healthy means having or indicating good health in your body or mind. Being healthy means feeling good. Being healthy is one of the better things in life. When a person is healthy, that person would be able to do or achieve anything in his or her own way. A healthy person is a happy person. Even if a person is healthy, they could still become ill. Being healthy is everything dealing with you in body and mind. In body, the person could be strong and healthy. In mind, the person has a feeling of goodness and achievement towards themselves. They feel good about themselves and people can see a good change in them. The person will have positive thoughts and not negative thoughts. Eating the right kinds of food keeps your body healthy and makes you feel good. When a person is healthy, they tend to feel good about themselves and their body. Eating healthy, being active, and feeling good about you are the key ingredients to having a healthy lifestyle. When a person eats healthy food, like one of their daily food groups in the food pyramid: grain, poultry, dairy, and etc. they will be able to have enough strength and energy to last them a whole day. When you keep your body strong, well, and clean, you are being healthy. In order to be healthy, the person will have to eat the right kind of food, exercise daily, take a shower, keep him/herself clean, and stay well. People who are healthy are likely to have the background of being and staying drug free. Junk food is not one of the things people eat to be healthy. Eating junk food affects your body and can make you sick. In order for a person to be healthy and stay healthy, they have to exercise daily, eat the right kinds of food, staying clean, and that person would feel good about themselves in the inside and outside. In the inside, they will feel good about themselves. That person won’t be worrying about their weight or how their appearance may look like because they feel beautiful in the inside just by staying healthy. In the outside, the person will feel good and strong. They will have a positive self-esteem about themselves. They can be able to do or achieve anything that comes into the person’s way without having negative thoughts. If a person were to eat a lot of junk food, drink a lot of soft drinks, and do things that could destroy their health, they are destroying their body. If they don’t eat the right kinds of food, exercise daily, and stay clean, they could kill themselves faster and they could easily catch a sickness and die from it, because they don’t have enough strength to fight the sickness. In their mind, they will have negative thoughts and not positive thoughts. They will put themselves down and also everyone around them, including their loved ones. They won’t have the strength to do anything, except just sleep, eat, and talk. In other words, they will become very lazy, because they won’t have enough energy to do anything. So, in order to stay healthy, we have to eat the right kinds of food, exercise daily, and stay clean so that we can feel good about ourselves inside and outside. If we don’t eat healthy and stay healthy, we might become lazy or catch a sickness really fast and die. So, I leave you with this quote â€Å" Healthy Me, I Feel Good†.